Gracie Gebel, 9, doesn't know who will get the card and owl ornament she made at Groton Public Library.

But she knows it'll go to someone who can't leave home, and that's enough to tell her what to write.

"I just say something that I think somebody would like," said Gracie, of Groton, as she spent less than an hour on cards. It's a small investment of her time for an important lesson about volunteering, said her mother, Annie Gebel.

Gracie is part of the Junior Friends' of Groton Public Library, a program that began in November 2013, and has nearly doubled in membership since the summer. Close to 60 children from communities including Groton, Pawcatuck, Mystic, Stonington, New London and Norwich have joined it.

The premise is to give children, ages 12 and younger, a way to share their ideas about library programs and contribute to the community.

They have accomplished tangible goals.

The children bought a bookshelf, decorated it, held a book drive to fill it, then delivered it to a community space by Branford Manor, a federally-subsidized, low-income housing complex.

The "Friends" set up a pet food drive and collected enough to fill an office, including a $100 cash donation. The children sold cookies and snacks during library movie nights, then bought a highway sign to direct people to Groton Public Library, because the library didn't have one.

"The highway sign cost around $100. It was our first major purchase," Kimmerle Balentine, children's librarian and home bound delivery service coordinator, wrote in an email. "I know that doesn't seem like much money, but that's a lot of 25-cent cookies and bags of popcorn!"

The children talked about the ways they wanted to help. Balentine believes they liked the idea of buying a highway sign because they'd ride by it and know they helped make it happen. Town employees are expected to post the sign once the weather improves.

To join Junior Friends, kids pay a $1 annual membership fee. The group then spends that membership money to support community service activities or items they'd like for the library. The friends hold three meetings a month - one on a Saturday, one during an evening and one after school, to accommodate parents' and kids' different schedules.

"It instills in them young taking care of what's around them and taking care of others," said Gebel. The program is inexpensive and undemanding, yet it shows kids that sometimes, they have to pay to be part of something and donate their time, she said.

Susan Marquardt said she likes that the program also reminds children "that everybody doesn't have all of the things you have."

In the future, Junior Friends plan to hold "library helper days," where they work as a librarian's helper, cutting materials out for story time and organizing a specific shelf. The plan is to give each child a book shelf to clean and care for, and attach a small magnet to the shelf with the child's name.

The friends also plan to hold a canned food drive for the Groton Food Locker, a book fair and a fun walk or fun run.

Clint Schoellman, 12, liked "Crafting for a Cause," which makes crafts for nursing home residents, veterans and home bound library patrons. The children made valentines were delivered Feb. 13.

"I'm trying to see how many I can make before class is over because I know how much it would mean to people, because I guess they don't get many visitors at all," Clint said. "And I think they should get some happiness also."

D.STRASZHEIM@THEDAY.COM

TWITTER: @DSTRASZHEIM